Am I a Candidate for Eyelid Surgery? Upper vs. Lower Blepharoplasty

Published on 13/09/2026 .

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Want to know whether you are a suitable candidate for eyelid surgery and whether upper, lower, or combined treatment is right for you? Read this article to learn more about candidacy, treatment options, recovery, alternatives, and what to consider before making your decision.

The two halves of eyelid surgery

Eyelid surgery Dubai refers to procedures designed to address concerns affecting the upper or lower eyelids. “Blepharoplasty” simply means eyelid surgery, and there are two versions: upper and lower, which treat opposing sides of the eye.

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10 Eye-Opening Facts About Blepharoplasty

Upper Blepharoplasty — the Hood

Upper eyelid surgery Dubai addresses the thin skin of the upper eyelid that loses flexibility and becomes redundant with age, allowing the fat behind it to push forward. The consequence is a fold of loose skin called a hood that hangs over the lid, making the eyes appear weary and smaller, and, in severe cases, sits on the lashes or cuts the outside border of your vision. Upper eyelid surgery eliminates excess skin and fat using an incision hidden in the lid’s natural crease. It is the procedure for those who complain that their upper eyelids are heavy or that they appear weary even when they are relaxed.

Lower Blepharoplasty — the Bags

Lower eyelid surgery Dubai addresses a distinct difficulty. The complaint is frequently puffy bags — tiny fat pads that push forward and produce a shadow — with crepey or loose skin on the lid. Lower blepharoplasty softens or repositions fat and treats skin as needed, resulting in an under-eye region that appears smooth and relaxed rather than fatigued and bloated. It is a more complex procedure than the upper lid since the lower lid’s position and support must be respected, which is why matching the approach to the patient is critical.

Are You Medically a Good Candidate?

The requirements for becoming a candidate are reassuringly modest. Overall, you’re an excellent candidate if you:

  • Are an adult in reasonable overall health.
  • Are really concerned about heavy upper lids, under-eye bags, or a fatigued appearance;
  • Have reasonable expectations: rejuvenated and rested, not a different face.
  • Do not smoke or are willing to quit well before and after surgery;
  • Maintain healthy eyes with appropriate tear film and no untreated eye conditions.

The problems that make someone a poor candidate, or a “not yet,” are mostly about eye health: major untreated dry eye, uncontrolled glaucoma, thyroid eye illness, or a recent retinal trouble all require immediate care. Another example is a very low, heavy brow; if the brow is dragging everything down, Eyelid correction surgery alone may fall short, and a brow lift may be the only solution. This is why Dr. Lyor Hanan inspects the brow, lids, and eye itself before proposing surgery.

Upper, Lower, or Both?

Once you’ve determined whether you’re a candidate, the practical decision is which lids to treat. To make an honest decision, identify what disturbs you when you look in the mirror:

  • Upper blepharoplasty can address heavy, hooded upper lids, skin resting on lashes, and a worn, curtained appearance.
  • Lower blepharoplasty is used to treat puffy bags, shadows, and loose skin below the eyes.
  • A combined upper and lower bag treatment is performed in a single session.

Combining upper and lower when both are present is efficient—one anesthetic, one recovery, and a balanced outcome when the top and bottom of the eye match. A competent surgeon will not pressure you into a lower blepharoplasty that you do not require simply because you are already getting the uppers done. Each lid wins its spot on the plan because the exam validates it.

What About My Age?

Age is the most common issue raised by patients, yet it is also the least important. When it comes to the Best Eyelid Surgery in Dubai, candidacy is determined by individual suitability rather than age alone. Eyelid surgery is moderate enough for healthy individuals in their seventies and eighties to tolerate, especially when conducted under local anesthetic with light sedation rather than general anesthesia, as Dr. Lyor Hanan performs. The majority of cosmetic candidates are 35 or older since hooding and bags become visible at that age, but there is no upper limit. Candidacy is determined by the health of your eyes and overall medical fitness, not your birth year.

Do You Actually Need Surgery? Non-Surgical Alternatives

Not all tired-looking eyes require surgery. A young patient whose under-eye “bags” are actually a hollow — a darkened groove rather than a fat bulge — might typically benefit from a tiny quantity of hyaluronic acid filler in the tear trough. However, filler has limitations: a real herniated fat bag that bulges more when viewed from above is structural, and adding volume around it might make it appear worse rather than better. Similarly, modest upper-lid heaviness in someone with good skin tone may be monitored rather than treated. An honest consultation with Best Blepharoplasty Surgeons Dubai includes informing patients when they do not require surgery right away.

Recovery and Scars

Blepharoplasty recovery Dubai is one of the reasons why eyelid surgery is so popular. Most patients are ready to go out in public within a week to ten days; bruising and swelling are most noticeable in the first few days and can be relieved with cold compresses and elevating the head. Upper-lid sutures dissolve in about five to seven days, and the incision blends into the natural crease. When just fat needs to be removed from the lower lid, the approach is generally taken from the inside of the lid, leaving no visible scar. Blepharoplasty scars are among the least visible in cosmetic surgery since eyelid skin is thin and heals well.

Cost and Insurance in Dubai

Cost of cosmetic eyelid surgery in Dubai varies, depending on whether one or both lids are treated and whether the procedure is paired with a brow lift or facelift. Cosmetic treatment to make one appear more rested is not covered by insurance. However, if a heavy upper lid is bad enough to impair your vision and has been recorded, insurance may pay for the functional element of an upper blepharoplasty. Carriers search for objective evidence, such as a visual-field test that improves with a taped-up lid, straight-gaze pictures, and a low lid margin measurement. Lower-lid (bag) surgery is almost often cosmetic.

Bottom Line

“Am I a candidate for eyelid surgery?” Most healthy individuals who are concerned by heavy upper lids or under-eye bags qualify for the procedure, which has no relevant age limit and is one of the gentlest cosmetic surgeries. The most pressing concern is whether you require upper blepharoplasty to correct a hooded, weary upper lid, lower eyelid correction Dubai to treat puffy bags, or both when both conditions are present. The incorrect response is to treat a lid that is not the problem, or to remove a low brow that is. If the diagnosis is correct, the operation—and the outcome—will follow naturally.

Book a Blepharoplasty consultation Dubai with Dr. Lyor Hanan to discuss your eyelid concerns and determine whether upper, lower, or combined treatment is appropriate. During your consultation, your eyes, eyelids, brow position, and overall suitability will be assessed carefully. This personalized evaluation helps establish a suitable treatment approach based on your individual needs.

Questions to Ask Any Plastic Surgeon About Eyelid Surgery in Dubai

If you’re interviewing surgeons in Dubai, relevant questions include:

  • Based on my evaluation, can I qualify for upper eyelid surgery, lower eyelid surgery, or both — and why?
  • Is my fatigued appearance caused by the eyelids or by a low brow that should be treated instead?
  • Are my eyes healthy enough, and is my tear film enough, to undergo this surgery?
  • If I have a thick upper lid, is any of this covered by insurance, and would your office document it?
  • Do you execute this under local anesthetic with sedation, and how do you keep from taking too much skin?
  • Will you employ a method for my lower lids that does not create an outward scar?

FAQs

An adult in generally good health who is bothered by puffy under-eye bags or heavy, hooded upper eyelids, has reasonable expectations, doesn't smoke, and doesn't have any active eye conditions that could make surgery dangerous, like severe dry eye, uncontrolled glaucoma, or a recent retinal issue, would be a good candidate. There is no maximum age restriction; Dr. Lyor Hanan treats healthy patients in their sixties, seventies, and beyond. What counts considerably more than age is that the eyes are healthy, the tear film is adequate, and the worry is from the eyelids rather than a low brow or a medical condition that must be addressed first.
Upper eyelid surgery (upper blepharoplasty) removes the superfluous, hooding skin — and occasionally a little fat — from the upper lid, opening up a sleepy, heavy eye and, in extreme cases, clearing the outside field of vision. Lower eyelid surgery (lower blepharoplasty) resolves puffy bags and, in certain cases, loose skin behind the eye, often by relocating or conservatively eliminating the fat that causes the protrusion. They address various issues, take varying amounts of time, and have distinct implications; many people require only one, while others benefit from both.
It completely depends on what bothers you and what the exam reveals. If you have a heavy, hooded top lid or a fatigued appearance with skin hanging on your lashes, upper blepharoplasty is the solution. If you have puffy bags or dark darkened hollows beneath your eyes, it's the lower lid. Patients with both upper and lower bags can have both fixed in just one procedure and recuperation, which many people find more expedient than staging them.
No, eyelid surgery is one of the safest facial procedures, and it is commonly performed on healthy individuals well into their seventies and eighties. Dr. Lyor Hanan uses local anesthetic with moderate sedation rather than general anesthesia, it is soft enough that advanced age is rarely an impediment. The eye's health and the patient's general medical fitness, rather than the number on a birth certificate, are the decisive considerations. The majority of cosmetic patients are 35 and older, since upper-lid hooding and under-eye bags become visible at this age.
Most patients seem presentable in public after a week to 10 days. The most bothersome symptoms are bruising and swelling, which peak in the first two or three days and can be alleviated by applying cold compresses and elevating the head. Fine sutures on the upper lid are usually removed after five to seven days, and any incision heals into a line buried in the natural eyelid crease. Eye makeup may normally be resumed after about two weeks, and any remaining puffiness will subside over the next few weeks. When compared to other types of facial surgery, recovery is rather easy.
Sometimes. Mild lower-lid hollows and shadows can be eased with a tiny quantity of hyaluronic acid filler injected in the tear trough, making it an excellent choice for younger patients whose skin is still tight and whose 'bags' are actually hollows. True herniated fat bags, which bulge more when you look up, are a structural issue that filler cannot treat; adding volume around them might actually make them seem worse. Lower blepharoplasty is the only permanent solution for those cases. An honest examination is what distinguishes a filler candidate from a surgical one.
For upper eyelid surgery, the incision is made in the natural crease of the lid, so that once healed, it is covered while the eyes are open and becomes difficult to perceive. When only fat needs to be adjusted in lower eyelid surgery, Dr. Lyor Hanan frequently operates from the inside of the lid (a transconjunctival method), leaving no outward scar; when skin must also be removed, the incision is just under the lash line. Eyelid skin is thin and heals very well, which helps to explain why blepharoplasty scars are among the least visible in cosmetic surgery.
Eyelid surgery can help create a more rested appearance when extra upper-lid skin, hooding, or lower-lid bags contribute to a fatigued appearance. The method concentrates on the precise structures causing the problem rather than modifying the complete face. The proper technique is determined by the results of an individual evaluation and the patient's desired, realistic outcome.
A low or thick brow can considerably contribute to heaviness in the upper eyelids. In some circumstances, addressing the eyelids may not be sufficient to resolve the issue. The brow position is evaluated with the eyelids and eyes. If the brow is the major concern, a brow lift may be considered instead of or in conjunction with eyelid surgery.
Eye makeup can generally be resumed after approximately two weeks, according to the recovery information provided. Bruising and swelling are often most visible in the first few days and progressively improve. To ensure proper recovery, patients should follow their surgeon's precise aftercare recommendations before adding cosmetics or other treatments to the healing eyelids.
When just fat needs to be corrected, a transconjunctival technique allows access to the lower eyelid from its inner surface. The incision is made inside the eyelid, so there is no visible scar. This treatment may be appropriate for certain individuals who have substantial lower-lid fat. The suitable procedure is determined by whether or not additional skin treatment is necessary.
The decision depends on whether concerns are present in both the upper and lower eyelids and whether examination findings support treating each area. The upper treatment targets hooding and extra skin, while the lower treatment addresses bags and other issues. When both are truly indicated, treating them concurrently can achieve a balanced outcome with a single anesthesia and recovery time.

Article written by Doctor Hanan

Dr Lyor Hanan specializes in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery, with a particular expertise in facial surgery.

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